 |
LEADWOOD - Leadwood Mayor Jim Stahlman and council members spent part
of a recent council meeting pondering ways to replace the 40-year-old
galvanized metal backstop at the city park's baseball field. Unbeknownst
to them, a solution was in the works.
SportsPlay Equipment in North St. Louis had a new type of backstop it
wanted to display. Rather than put the new backstop on a platform and
stick it outside one of the company's buildings, two managers suggested
the company donate it to Leadwood.
On Thursday, Stahlman thanked
SportsPlay managers Andy Kearns and Steve
Hankins for their generosity as the three inspected the new addition to
the ball field.
"A lot of young kids are using this to practice, and we're tickled pink,"
Stahlman said. "If you've got nice things, they'll use it more."
The backstop is the second of three planned improvements to the field.
Earlier this spring, the city bought and installed two sets of aluminum
bleachers to replace wooden ones that were deteriorating. Soon, city
workers will install matching benches on the first and third base lines
for use by players.
The improvements are part of a park-wide renovation in anticipation for
the city's 100th anniversary in October. However, the donation of the new
backstop had less to do with the celebration and more to do with timing.
"This is a new product and we thought it would be better to show it off in
an actual setting," said Kearns. He and Hankins live in Leadwood. "Both
our kids play down here, so we'll appreciate this."
Before construction, pieces of the backstop's frame were coated with a
paint powder that adhered to the metal through an electrostatic charge.
The frame pieces then baked in an oven for 25 minutes at 375 degrees to
cure the paint and give it a glossy finish, Kearns and Hankins explained.
The chain-link fencing was dipped into liquid vinyl to give it a
rubberized coating.
The new backstop lists for $2,500, which is about $400 more than a
standard backstop, Hankins said.
Hankins, who coaches Bantam and Cal Ripken league traveling teams, brings
his players to City Park to practice.
"We practiced here for years, and it was time to replace this backstop,"
Hankins said.
The field also is used for family picnics and other gatherings at the
park, Stahlman said.
Other improvements at the park are evident as well. A refurbished sign
welcomes visitors to town and lists the area churches. Several churches
donated to the $2,450 cost of the new sign, City Clerk Tonya Pitts said.
"People ask us why we kept the welcome sign at that end of town, but it
used to be the entrance to the city," Pitts explained.
City workers are removing rotted and weakened rafters of the pavilion to
construct a new roof. Street supervisor Van Gilliam said that workers plan
to remove mortar joints and refill them to repair cracks. The city also
intends to lay new concrete on the pavilion floor and create a wheelchair
ramp from the pavilion to the road. The current floor, which is cracked
and uneven, was laid in 1953.
Donations played a key role in renovating the pavilion. Deborah Crawford
of Leadwood solicited materials from area businesses to renovate the
pavilion, Pitts said. Among the donors were Hood's, ABC Roofing, Flat
River Building Supply, Holecamps, Lowe's, and Farmington Building Supply.
Once the pavilion is finished, the city hopes to renovate a gazebo built
in 1934 for band concerts, Stahlman said.
"We want to make a lot of improvements to the park, including a new
electrical system that would be installed underground," Pitts said.
The city will accept donations of money or Bradford pear trees from
supporters of the park. Anyone interested in donating should call city
hall at 562-7125. |